Collapsible crate or box

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a collapsible crate or box including a bottom panel, sidewall panels and connecting strip means for connecting adjacent ends of adjacent side panels to one another and for connecting the side panels to the bottom panels. One face of all the panels is provided with grooves extending parallel to and in close proximity to the edges of the panels and each connecting strip means includes two channel-shaped strips disposed at an angle of 90* with respect to each other and having resilient legs and being narrowed at their mouths for cooperation with the grooves in the panels when the latter are inserted within the channels. Further, at least those connecting strip means associated between the sidewall panels and the bottom panel constituting hinge-forming connecting strip means and including a flexible web interconnecting the two channel-shaped strips of such connecting strip means.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Peter Schifierle Rheinfelden, Switzerland [21] Appl. No. 831,348 [22] Filed June 9, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [7 3] Assignee llolzwerte AG Zurich, Switzerland [32] Priority Oct. 18, 1968 [3 3] France [31] 170,567

[54] COLLAPSIBLE CRATE OR BOX 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 217/12, 217/65, 217/69, 217/15 [51] Int. Cl 865d 9/12 [50] Field of Search 217/69, 65, 12, 15; 16/150; 220/24 H, 31 S [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,690,799 10! 1954 Gerstenmaier 16/150 X 3,289,877 12/1966 Wolf 16/150 3,301,430 1/1967 Cornelius 220/31 S 3,315,639 4/1967 Close 3,343,567 9/1967 Mulligan et a1. 220/31 S FOREIGN PATENTS 430,565 8/1967 Switzerland 217/69 1,401,394 4/1965 France 16/150 Primary ExaminerRaphael I-I. Schwartz Attorney-Werner W. Kleeman shaped strips disposed at an angle of 90 with respect to each other and having resilient legs and being narrowed at their mouths for cooperation with the grooves in the panels when the latter are inserted within the channels, Further, at least those connecting strip means associated between the sidewall panels and the bottom panel constituting hinge-forming connecting strip means and including a flexible web interconnecting the two channel-shaped strips of such connecting strip means.

PATENIEDnm 19 Ian INVENTOR 72mm Ja/W r; 1? 1. E

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE OR BOX BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates broadly to the art of containers.

More particularly this invention relates to a collapsible crate or box.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to a collapsible or knockdown crate or box including a bottom panel, sidewall forming panels and removable connecting strip means for connecting the sidewall forming panels to the bottom panel and to one another.

Specifically, this invention relates to such a collapsible or knockdown crate or box on which the panels are provided with grooves extending in close proximity to their edges and the connecting strip means include two channel shaped strips disposed at an angle of 90 with respect to one another and being narrowed at their mouths and engageable with the grooves of adjacent panels to be connected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has for a primary object to provide a collapsible or knockdown crate or box which, when empty, will occupy very little space, will not need to be disassembled completely and which can be readily reassembled with a minimum of effort and in a minimum of time.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a collapsible or knockdown crate or box including at least bottom and sidewall panels having grooves extending in close proximity to all their edges and connecting strip means for connecting the side panels to one another and to the bottom panel and which connecting strip means include components so cooperably related with the grooves in the panels as to permit assembly and disassembly of the panels between an erected and a collapsed or separable condition.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide connecting strip means including two channel or U-shaped strips having resilient legs and a nose portion on at least one leg of each strip cooperable with a groove defining wall surface on the panels and so shaped as to facilitate outward deflection of such one leg upon insertion of a blade or prying element between the outer surface of the panel and the end edges of such one leg.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a collapsible or knockdown crate assembly, including at least bottom and sidewall panels having grooves extending in close proximity to all their edges, connecting strip means including components for cooperable relation with the grooves on the panels to removably connect adjacent sidewall panels to one another and additional connecting strip means for cooperable relation with the grooves in the panels to removably connect the sidewall panels to the bottom panel and said last mentioned connecting strip means including at least two strip means,

each having two channel or U-shaped panel edge surrounding trough portions disposed at an angle of 90 with respect to one another with the legs of each channel or U-shaped trough portion being resilient and a flexible web connecting said trough portions so as to provide a hinge connection between at least .two opposite side panels and the bottom panel.

Consistent with the immediately aforegoing object, it is a more particular object of this invention to provide a collapsible or knockdown crate or box assembly in which all the connecting strip means that are cooperably related between the side panels and the bottom panel include flexible bridge or web portions interconnecting the panel edge surrounding trough portions so that after removal of the connecting strip means that connect adjacent side panels to one another, all

.theside panels can be folded outwards to lie on the same level the bottom panel. It is a still more particular object of the invention to provide such flexible bridge or web portions with a short active bending area having a thickness less than half the thickness of the adjacent bridge or web portions and disposed offcenter of the extent of the flexible bridge or web portions between the associated trough portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the components of the collapsible crate or box of the invention in partly disassembled condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a bottom panel and two opposite sidewall panels connected thereto and with one sidewall panel in outwardly folded condition;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a connecting strip means and adjacent frames in their related positions just prior to assembly;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a connecting strip means and one form of flexible web or bridge extending between the panel edge surrounding channels or troughs;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the connecting strip means of FIG. 4 in assembled relation with adjacent inserted panels;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the groove arrangement at the comer of a panel;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale illustrating an embodiment in which the flexible web or bridge is formed of a material different than that of the connecting strip means; and

FIG. 8 is a similar view illustrating another embodiment of the flexible web or bridge in which such web or bridge is an integral part of the connecting strip means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THEPREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The collapsible or knockdown crate or box of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 includes panels constituting a bottom 1, a lid or closure 2 and sidewall panels 3, 4, 5 and 6. All of the side panels are provided on one face with grooves 7 and 8 of rectangular cross section and of uniform depth that extend parallel to and in close proximity to all the edges of the respective panels.

In connection with the production of the panels, it is to be pointed out that the same can be constructed of wood, commercially available fiber or chip board, tempered fiberboard and in fact from any commercially available material capable of being cut to size and grooved as required and of sufficient strength for the purpose intended.

The invention includes the connecting strips 9 and 11, preferably made of synthetic plastic material, shaped to connect adjacent side panels to one another. Connecting strip means in the form of hinge-forming strips 12 and 13 connect at least side panels 3 and 4 with the bottom 1. All four side panels can be connected to the bottom by hinge-forming strips.

FIG. 2 illustrates the bottom 1 with side panels 3 and 4 attached thereto. The connecting strips 111 have been removed and panel 4 has been folded outwardly to lie in approximately the same plane as the plane containing the bottom 1. When hinge-forming strips are utilized, the portion of the box or crate comprising the bottom 1 and side panels 3 and 4 can be transported or shipped in space-saving fashion with these three panel components connected together, in that with the side panels 3, 4 folded outwardly, the other individual component parts that constitute the crate or box can be stacked on top of one another and on top of the bottom 1. Thus the side panels 5 and 6 and the top can be placed flat on the bottom 1 and the other connecting strips stacked thereon. However, if hinge-forming connecting strips are utilized to connect side panels 5 and 6 to the bottom I, the box assembly can be shipped with all four side panels folded outwardly to lie in flat condition and connected with the bottom 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the crosssectional shape of connecting strips 9 and 11 and their disposition relative to two adjacent side panels prior to assembly. Each of these connecting strips 9, 11 is provided with two deep, profiled channels or troughs l4 and extending perpendicular to one another. These troughs 14 and 15 include outer resilient legs 16 and 17 having shaped noses or end portions 18 and 19 of triangular cross section. A straight line extension of the leg 16 of channel or trough 14 delimits the inward extent or depth of the channel 15 while the two legs of channel 14 are connected by a web or bridge 17:: which also constitutes the inner surface or leg of the channel or trough 15.

Each of the side panels, the ends 20 and 21 of which are shown in FIG. 3, include respective grooves 22 and 23 whose distance from the edges of the panels correspond to the distance between the shaped noses 18 and 19 and the base of each associated channel or trough l4 and 15. The panels can be removably connected to the connecting strips either by inserting the panels into the channels or troughs in the direction shown by the arrows or by sliding the panels into the respective channels or troughs in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axes of grooves 22 and 23. When inserting the panels into the channels in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 3, the resiliency of the legs 16 and 17 of the channel allows the same to deflect outwardly until the noses 18 and 19 snap into the grooves 22 and 23.

FIG. 4 illustrates a hinge-forming strip 13 prior to assembling the same with the bottom and a side panel. This connecting strip means is also constructed of synthetic plastic material having such resiliency characteristics as to permit outward deflection of the leg portions of the channels that constitute those having the shaped noses at the outer ends thereof. Thus, in this form of the invention, the hinge-forming strip means includes two identical hinge leaf constituting portions 24 and 25, each of profiled channel-shaped cross section, including equilength legs 29, 30 and 27,28, that are parallel to one another and which define grooves or channels 15 and 14' that enclose or surround the edges of the panels. Shaped noses 31 and 32 snap into the grooves formed in the panels when the latter are inserted. A thin flexible web or bridge 26 connects the hinge leaf forming portions 24 and together. This web 26 can be a woven fabric web embedded in the material of which the channel forming portions 24 and 25 are made, or it can be a strip of synthetic plastic material of great flexibility, likewise having its ends embedded in the strips 24 and 25.

FIG. 5 illustrates the hinge-forming connecting strip means with panels 33 and 34 inserted therein, in the positions occupied by the bottom and one side panel, if the box were in use. As shown, the flexible web 26 permits folding or rotation of the hinge-forming channel members 24 and 25 relative to one another.

FIG. 6 illustrates a corner of a side panel with two grooves 35 and 36 formed therein. Each of these grooves extends the full length of a side of a panel and, as illustrated in connection with side panel 5 in FIG. 1, the grooves extend all around the panel on one face thereof, parallel to the edges and at the same distance from the edges.

Generally, the connecting strip means are mitered at their comers as shown in FIG. 1, so that they meet at the comers. However, it is also feasible to construct the connecting strip means with straight ends and so relate their respective lengths as to permit proper assembly and disassembly of the crate or box.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a particular shape of a flexible web or bridge that is essential to impart long life to such flexible web. Surprisingly, it has been ascertained that a particularly advantageous shape of the flexible web or strip can be obtained by providing a short, asymmetrically arranged active bending point or location 40, in other words bending location is offcenter with respect to a central plane between the sides of the web, as shown in these FIGS. The side of the active bending point or location which, when being folded or bent, is subjected to tensile stress, has radii of approximately the same magnitude, whereas the side of the web subjected to compressive stress merges with the web without change. By providing the active bending point or location in the flexible web with this particular shape, it is possible to construct the web and its shaped bending location of the same material as that of the channel shaped strip portions, thus simplifying production of the hinge-fonning connecting strip means.

The relatively narrow active bending point or location is indicated at 40 in FIGS. 7 and 8. This location is not in the center of the web thickness of the adjacent web portions 41 ,42 and 43,44, respectively, but is located off center relative to the web portions. On the side where tensile stress is developed during a folding operation, the web is delimited by radii R of approximately identical magnitude and forms concave and convex side portions. The side of the web exposed to compressive stress, has a straight line surface when it is in rest or static condition. This surface is parallel to the sides of the adjacent strip members 24,25 in FIG. 7, whereas in FIG. 8, this side of the web merges with the adjacent sides of the strip members 54 and 55. As indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the thickness of the active bending point or location of the flexible web is less than one-half the thickness of the adjacent web portions 41,42 and 43,44, respectively.

In assembling the component parts of the crate or box from the position of the parts shown in FIG. 1, the initial step would be inserting side panels 5 and 6 from above and sliding them downwardly into the channels or troughs of the vertically disposed connecting strips 9 and 11. Then the lid 2 is placed in position so that its connecting components cooperate with the upper edges of all of the side panels and the lid is tapped downwardly until its connection components lock in the grooves at the upper edges of the side panels. In this regard, the lid assembly can have a depending rim portion having a channel shaped configuration, the outer and resilient legs of the channels having noses shaped to snap in place in the grooves that extend horizontally of the upper edges of the respective side panels. Further, as an alternative, connecting strip means as separate components and constructed as in FIG. 3 can be applied over the four edges of a top panel that is also grooved in the same manner as the side panels and then those connecting strip means can be inserted or placed over the upper edges of the assembled side panels to secure the lid to the crate or box.

If it is desirable to have the lid function as a hinged closure, a hinge-forming connecting strip means can be associated between one side panel such as 5 and a top panel similar to bottom 1. Also hinge-fonning connecting strip means could be used on all four edges of a top panel.

Further, the connecting strip means that connects side panels 5 and 6 to the bottom 1, can be either hinge-forming connecting strip means as in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8 or shaped connecting strip means similar to FIG. 3, such as element 10 of FIG. 1.

To remove the lid, a screw driver or other flat bladed tool can be inserted between the exterior of the side panels and the outer leg of the connecting strip portion that is in the grooves of the respective side panels, and by deflecting the outer leg of this connecting strip portion, the shaped nose such as 19, due to its resiliency characteristics, can be deflected out of its associated grooves so that the connecting strip can be moved upwardly in removing the lid.

It should be apparent from the foregoing detailed description, that the objects set forth at the outset of the specification have been successfully achieved.

What is claimed is:

1. A collapsible crate or box including a bottom panel, side panels and connecting strip means for connecting the side panels to one another and the side panels to the bottom panel, all said panels having grooves in one face thereof extending parallel to and in close proximity to all the respective edges of said panels, said connecting strip means each including two channel shaped strips having parallel legs with said strips being disposed with the channels opening in directions which are at an angle of approximately 90 with respect to one another in the assembled condition and said legs being so shaped that the channels defined thereby are narrowed at their mouths and at least those connecting strip means that connect the side panels to the bottom panel constituting hinge-forming connecting strip means including a flexible web extending between and intereonnecting the two channel shaped strips of such hingeforming connecting strip means and the legs of said hingeforrning connecting strip means being resilient, said flexible web including means defining a narrow bending location including an elongated depression in one side of said web, the web at said depression having a thickness less than one-half the thickness of the adjacent web portions, the depression side of said bending location of said web which is subjected to tensile stress during a bending movement forming a gradually curving surface having a concave and convex portions when said web is in an unbent condition, the opposite side of said web, which is subjected to compression during a bending movement, being substantially planar when unbent, said bending portion thus being displaced from a plane central to said sides of said web, said web being bendable through 180 to place said channels in said relationship.

2. A collapsible crate or box as claimed in claim 1, said flexible web being of the same material as the associated channelshaped strips.

3. A collapsible crate or box as claimed in claim 1, said flexible web being of a different material than the associated channel-shaped strips.

4. A collapsible crate or box as claimed in claim 1, said flexible web comprising a synthetic plastic web of high flexibility characteristics. 

1. A collapsible crate or box including a bottom panel, side panels and connecting strip means for connecting the side panels to one another and the side panels to the bottom panel, all said panels having grooves in one face thereof extending parallel to and in close proximity to all the respective edges of said panels, said connecting strip means each including two channel shaped strips having parallel legs with said strips being disposed with the channels opening in directions which are at an angle of approximately 90* with respect to one another in the assembled condition and said legs being so shaped that the channels defined thereby are narrowed at their mouths and at least those connecting strip means that connect the side panels to the bottom panel constituting hinge-forming connecting strip means including a flexible web extending between and interconnecting the two channel shaped strips of such hingeforming connecting strip means and the legs of said hinge-forming connecting strip means being resilient, said flexible web including means defining a narrow bending location including an elongated depression in one side of said web, the web at said depression having a thickness less than one-half the thickness of the adjacent web portions, the depression side of said bending location of said web which is subjected to tensile stress during a bending movement forming a gradually curving surface having a concave and convex portions when said web is in an unbent condition, the opposite side of said web, which is subjected to compression during a bending movement, being substantially planar when unbent, said bending portion thus being displaced from a plane central to said sides of said web, said web being bendable through 180* to place said channels in said 90* relationship.
 2. A collapsible crate or box as claimed in claim 1, said flexible web being of the same material as the associated channel-shaped strips.
 3. A collapsible crate or box as claimed in claim 1, said flexible web being of a different material than the associated channel-shaped strips.
 4. A collapsible crate or box as claimed in claim 1, said flexible web comprising a synthetic plastic web of high flexibility characteristics. 